Sam Brownback

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I thank my colleagues for that clarification.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I would like to engage my colleagues, Senator Baucus and Senator Grassley in a colloquy. I have a question regarding the special depreciation allowance provisions of H.R. 3090, the ``Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002.'' Do the depreciation provisions in the bill cover all aircraft?

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak on the bill for up to 10 minutes.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I want to make a few comments on the energy policy in the form of an opening statement. It is something which should take a couple of weeks for us to decide given the bill was not taken through committee. We need to do a lot of work, and I hope we can have a very open amendment process so we can work through the issues and at the end of the day arrive at a bill we are all satisfied with, one that we can be proud of for an energy policy because I think an energy policy has been neglected for too long. It is too important, and it is something we need to act upon. We are driving a lot of foreign policy based on our lack of an energy policy, and we are having to do some things in regions of the world we probably should not do because we lack that energy policy, because we are so dependent upon the foreign sources. I particularly point out that the areas upon which we are so dependent for oil are so volatile, we could almost count on the fact that at some time within the next couple of years we are going to see energy disruptions from the Middle East. We are having some difficulties with Saudi Arabia now, a key place of energy supplies. If we do not act to diversify and get more domestic sources of oil and energy, we are setting ourselves up for a problem that we know is coming, so we need to get a bill through. We need to get a bill through this Congress. Our energy policy has been neglected for far too long. We see the effects of this neglect in the sporadic high gas prices at the pump during the summer, in the fact that we import 57 percent of the petroleum we use, and in the complexities we must endure in our foreign policy because of that energy dependency. To alleviate these problems, the U.S. must produce more domestic oil and natural gas while diversifying our energy sources with renewable energy sources, as well. Accomplishing this goal means we engage in a thorough debate on the matter. I am pleased the Senate is finally addressing such an important issue. I urge my colleagues to resolve our differences so we can get a bill passed. The Democratic bill before the Senate has some noble goals, particularly with regard to increasing renewable energy, encouraging conservation, fuel efficiency, and addressing global climate change. However, I am concerned that the specifics in this bill will not get the United States to the shared goal we all have: greater energy independence and improving our energy infrastructure. At issue is a real philosophical difference between the two parties as to how we should meet these goals. As I look at the bill before me, I am concerned the main objectives are accomplished through mandates that may not be achievable by the industry we are trying to grow. Whether it is the CAFE issue or climate change, we need to focus more on incentives, market-based mechanisms, to meet our shared goals. There are some basic tenets that our conservation energy policy should address that are not included in this bill. The prime issue is our domestic oil and gas production. The bill has some positive measures encouraging renewable energy, particularly ethanol, biomass, and biodiesel, of which I am very supportive. It neglects to address that we need to expand oil and gas in this country. As a result of not having that base in this country, we are forced for reliance on foreign energy. That has numerously dangerous consequences. Increasing our domestic production of oil and gas cannot be left out of the energy security equation. Conservation is important, but it will not solve the problem alone. The problem is larger than just our domestic situation. It greatly affects our foreign policy, as I noted at the outset. If we were freed from our Middle East dependency on oil, there would be important security benefits for our Nation. Regrettably, at this point, renewables alone cannot accomplish this task, but a combination of increased focus on renewable energy, along with increased domestic production and increased imports from new energy exporters such as the central Asian countries--and I hope we will be working with other nations, too--can yield a formula for accomplishing our mutual energy security and independence goals. It is not a simple equation, but I do think we can see through to a solution. I commend the work done by the Finance Committee in putting together what looks to be a very positive energy tax package. The tax component is a critical part of making this work. My friend, Senator Grassley, has worked hard to ensure a positive approach to achieving the goals I have described, particularly in support of renewable fuels such as ethanol. Specifically, I am pleased to see the inclusion of tax credits for marginal oil and gas production as part of our important need to increase domestic production. We have many of the marginal oil and gas wells in my State, and this will help bring those online or, in some cases, keep them in production. We must encourage an infrastructure to serve as a barrier against high prices OPEC may inflict. Independent oil and gas producers are this country's safety net for energy security, and it is in our national interest to preserve and enhance that infrastructure. Further, the bill provides tax incentives to consumers to buy hybrid vehicles which pollute less and consume less energy. These are positive measures. I am hopeful we can push them through this body, along with some support for other alternative methods of energy production. As I mentioned, regarding biomass, we can have coal-fired plants that can burn a portion of biomass in their energy production. That can help with our carbon dioxide emission problems but also help having localized sources for energy. Securing comprehensive energy policies is one of the most important efforts this Congress should undertake this year. We should take the time, we should take the effort, and we should not just vote along partisan lines but work back and forth in the amendment process to come up with a good bill at the end of the day. Let the body work its will. Regarding how this bill got to the floor, we need to have the body itself work its will and not get tied down on partisan lines. Then at the end of the day we can come up with a national energy strategy that is as broad based as this Nation and the desires here--although our end objective for all of us, energy security, is shared by every Member of this body. Energy is a key engine that drives our economy. Neglecting it forces us into international dilemmas that can conflict with our security and counterterrorism agenda. I urge my colleagues to work out our differences and pass legislation on this vital topic. I am hopeful in one other area that I would like to discuss, the area of carbon dioxide emissions. There are important parts of the bill, and I will submit amendments with other Senators, to reduce carbon dioxide loading into the atmosphere. I strongly believe we should go forward with a policy of a trading system, where we go to least cost methods and we put in place a marketplace to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in this country. We have done it previously on issues such as acid rain. We need to do this with carbon dioxide so we can reduce the CO2 level at the least cost base as others trading for those carbon credits. There have been innovative programs put in place. I traveled to Brazil to look at one program the Nature Conservancy is implementing there. It is innovative, helping the environment by reducing carbon dioxide. We should incorporate it as part of our energy strategy. I look forward to this process. I think it is important. As I noted, this is one of the most important bills we can consider this year. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, perhaps one of the most moving anthems of this Nation was written by Katharine Lee Bates, ``America The Beautiful.'' In the fourth verse, Ms. Bates wrote: O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears! From the inception of our Nation, many Americans have given their lives in order that we may enjoy the freedom and prosperity of American society. Now where is that more apparent than in our military history. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is fitting that we take time to remember those Americans who, undaunted by the confines of slavery, oppression, and segregation, fought valiantly to preserve our great Nation. During the struggle for national independence during the Revolutionary War, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 African-American soldiers served the cause for freedom. Of that number, 5,000 African Americans served in combat roles. These brave soldiers fought or provided labor in virtually every major action of the war, from the first exchange of fire at Lexington and Concord to the decisive victory at Yorktown. When the war of 1812 broke out between the United States and Great Britain, once again African Americans offered their services to protect this country. For example, New York raised two 1,000-man African- American regiments and many White units included African-American soldiers. In Philadelphia, 2,500 African Americans volunteered to erect fortifications on the outskirts of the city, and an estimated 10 percent of those serving on U.S. Navy ships in the Great Lakes were African Americans, who took part as seamen in Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry's victory over the British on Lake Erie in 1813. During the battle, an African-American soldier, Cytus Tiffany, used his body as a shield to protect Captain Perry during the battle. Captain Perry later wrote: I have yet to learn that the colour of a man's skin * * * can affect a man's qualifications or usefulness. Similarly, many African Americans quickly volunteered their military services during the Civil War. In fact, many slaves escaped persecution to join the Union forces in order to end slavery in this country. One such brave individual was Robert Smalls. Smalls, who was born into slavery, was ``hired out'' by his Master for various jobs, including that of sailor. While serving on a ship called the Planter, Smalls coordinated and carried out an escape with the Confederate vessel into Federal lines on May 13, 1862. Following this heroic deed, Robert eventually was made captain of the vessel. Robert's courage and intelligence in delivering the Planter to the Union forces helped invalidate the theory that Blacks were inferior to whites and greatly influenced the 1862 debates over slavery and the Union's use of African American soldiers. One of the most distinguished and revered African-American military regiments in our Nation's history was the Buffalo Soldiers. After the Civil war, the future of African Americans in the U.S. Army was in question. However, in July 1866, Congress passed legislation establishing two cavalry and four infantry regiments that were to be solely comprised of African Americans. The mounted regiments were the 9th and 10th Cavalries, soon nicknamed ``Buffalo Soldiers'' by the Cheyenne and Comanche Tribes. Until the early 1890s, they constituted 20 percent of all cavalry forces on the American frontier. Their invaluable service on the Western frontier still remains one of the most exemplary services preformed by a regiment in the U.S. Army. As a Kansan and an American, I am very proud of the Buffalo Soldiers. In fact, this is a picture of the late Elmer Robinson, Sergeant 1st Class, 10th Cavalry. Mr. Robinson served his country valiantly from 1935 to 1955. After he retired from the military, he resided in Leavenworth, KS until his death in July 2000. Over the years African- Americans continued to serve valiantly for our country such as with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and subsequent wars following. In 1948, President Harry Truman issued an Executive Order that paved the way for our Armed Forces to end segregation. Over the years, the military produced many distinguished African- Americans such as, Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., who was the first African- American general in the regular Armed Forces and his son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who became the second African-American general in the regular Armed Forces and in the Air Force. Finally, one of the most distinguished and recognized African- American military leaders in our Nation is Secretary of State, General Colin Powell. Secretary Powell has served and continues to serve this country with distinction. He dedicated the monument we have, a statue of a Buffalo soldier on horseback in Leavenworth, KS. During the late 1980s, former President George Bush nominated Secretary Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--becoming the first African-American to serve in this capacity. This would not be his last ``African-American first'' accomplishment however. After the election of President George W. Bush, the President nominated Secretary Powell to the position of Secretary of State where he serves currently with distinction. This American history is just a glimpse of what I hope will be showcased on a national level. As you know, we recently passed legislation that creates a Presidential Commission charged with recommending a legislative plan of action to establish a National African-American history and culture museum in Washington, DC. It had been 70 years people had fought for this museum. We passed it last year. This is the first concrete step we have taken to properly honor the many contributions of African-Americans in this society. Currently, we are in the process of nominating the presidential commission and I am looking forward to the commission's recommendations regarding establishing this museum on the National Mall--where it belongs. Indeed, this country has been richly blessed by the contributions and sacrifices of African-Americans. Cytus Tiffany, Robert Smalls, the Buffalo Soldiers, and the Tuskegee Airmen only make up a fraction of Americans who believed in the ideals of America and were willing to ``see beyond'' the years of their oppression to a society that was fully inclusive of all citizens despite race. Because of their sacrifices, our Nation has prospered and grown into the symbol of freedom around the world. As we continue to ensure our national freedom, we encourage you to join us and celebrate this magnificent American history; a history of a group of individuals who were brought to our shores in shackles, yet, helped remove ``shackles'' from our society to ensure that we live together in peace and prosperity. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, on April 23, 1941, the United States was at peace, although Europe and Asia were not. Citizen Kane was to open and be hailed as the best American film ever. A new baseball season was just underway and would see Joe Dimaggio hit safely in 56 straight games. On that day, Bertha Glotzback reported to work at the Department of Labor. Here it is almost 61 years later and Ms. Glotzbach, a native of Topeka, KS, is ending her career in Government service. For most of her time in Government Ms. Glotzbach has worked as a secretary for the U.S. Agency for International Development and its predecessor agencies. Ms. Glotzbach was there almost at the creation--joining the Economic Cooperation Agency less then a year after it was establish to implement the Marshall Plan. Through the years she has worked diligently and tirelessly in a number of different offices within USAID, most often in the Office of the General Counsel. Ms. Glotzbach is a special person--a person whose dedication and devotion to her work has demonstrated the best of what we should expect from public servants. Over the course of her valuable service to her country she has earned the respect and affection of all who have worked with her. She has made their lives easier by the way she has carried out her responsibilities. One expects nothing less from a Kansas native, but she shines above others. On March 1, 2002, Ms. Glotzbach will retire. USAID and the country will lose a valuable civil servant. Bertha, we wish you well in your retirement. Thank you for over 60 years of dedicated service to this country. Your Nation is grateful.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I would like to take this moment to recognize the class from Wichita Heights High School which will be representing the State of Kansas in the 2002 national finals of the We the People . . . The Citizen and the Constitution program. On May 4-6, 2002, more than 1,200 students from across the United States will visit Washington, DC, to take part in this competition, which is the most extensive educational program in the country developed specifically to educate young people about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This 3-day competition, administered by the Center for Civic Education, is modeled after hearings in the U.S. Congress and consists of oral presentations by high school students before a panel of adult judges on constitutional topics. The students' testimony is followed by a period of questioning by the judges who probe their depth of understanding and ability to apply their constitutional knowledge. I am very pleased to see these young people advocating the fundamental ideals that identify us as a people and bind us together as a Naiton. I am proud that this class from Wichita Heights High School will be representing Kansas on the national level in this worthy endeavor. I wish their entire team the best success at the We the People . . . national finals this May.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2887

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 10 minutes on the pending bill.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, what is the current state of business?

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, the 2000 Presidential election demonstrated the need to improve the instruments of voting and the means of electing our Federal officeholders. Protecting and enhancing this basic right to vote fairly, clearly, and easily is both critical and necessary. Early last year, Senator Schumer, Senator Torricelli, Senator McConnell, and I worked on a compromise bill to observe three key objectives: Respect for the primary role of the States and localities in election administration; second, establishing an independent, bipartisan commission appointed by the President to provide nonpartisan election assistance to the States; third, to enforce strong antifraud provisions. Supporting this bipartisan effort was a diverse group of organizations, such as Common Cause and League of Women Voters, because the issue is bipartisan. In crafting the compromise bill, we were mindful of the fact that both rural and urban areas have unique difficulties not only with accessibility but funding improvements to their voting systems. Heavily rural States such as mine or that of the Presiding Officer have issues relating to voting procedures that are different than those faced by large urban areas. For this reason, any compromise effort must not impose an unfunded election mandate upon the States or, in the alternative, give State flexibility to determine how it can use the funds. I am quite pleased that the chairman and the ranking members of the Rules Committee were able to preserve all three of the elements in the substitute to S. 565. I think the Dodd-McConnell Bill is a thoughtful, bipartisan attempt to provide grant moneys to States to implement alternative means and instruments of voting that provide swifter and more accurate results and are less susceptible to partisan interference and difference of opinion. However, I continue to have concerns regarding the degree to which States are given enough flexibility to implement the changes they believe are best for them. I look forward to working on an agreement that will accommodate reasonable changes in this respect. As I think a number of people have noted in speaking on this issue, there is a lot of difference between a large urban area and a rural area. In rural areas in my State, some of the voting is done far differently from the urban areas, but they are able to do it quickly and accurately. We need to work to make sure we provide options to localities to be able to implement this in a way that is most useful to them. Under the legislation, a new election administration commission will be established, composed of four Members recommended by the Senate majority leader, the Senate minority leader, the House Speaker, and the House minority leader. This commission will begin implementation of new voting requirements starting in 2006. These requirements will permit voters to verify their ballot choice and correct errors before ballots are cast, and allow notification to voters if there is more than one choice made on ballots, among others. In addition, the bill authorizes $3.5 billion for grant and matching programs to allow States and localities to meet the voting requirements under the bill. The grants will be administered by the Attorney General in consultation with the FEC, until the new election commission is operating. The grants will be used to buy new voting equipment, train poll workers, implement various other recommendations, or make other improvements approved by the commission. In order to receive funding, States and localities will have to demonstrate compliance with the Voting Rights Act and other civil rights laws, institute provisional balloting and other safeguards to assure accuracy during the transition to new systems, establish poll worker training, voter education programs, provide disabled voters with the opportunity to vote under the same conditions of privacy and independence as the nondisabled. Again, however, I must mention a concern I have for rural States such as mine, Kansas, and the Presiding Officer's, Nebraska, that would be at a disadvantage under a competitive bidding process as is contemplated in the Dodd-McConnell bill. I hope a formula process can be worked out that will make the grant-making process fairer for rural States such as my own. I am pleased to see one of our key requirements was adopted by the Senate that assures all military and overseas votes are counted. I believe this is important legislation that will instill confidence in our voting system. Not only should we do everything possible to ensure that every qualified American is able to vote, but that we are able to do so with certainty, accuracy, and confidence. Again, I commend the chairman and the ranking member for their tireless efforts in regard to this bill. I am hopeful we can get through a good, bipartisan piece of legislation that will improve our ability to vote in this country, will shorten the timespan for us to get an accurate vote taken. Clearly, in this age where we have rockets going all sorts of places in outer space, surely we can find a way to count votes quickly and accurately. This bill will help move us forward in that regard. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, I will draw the Senate's attention to a second matter. In the Philippines we have troops performing training exercises with the Philippine military. This is very important in helping to subdue a terrorist group called Abu Sayyaf. They have a couple of my constituents. They are being held by the Abu Sayyaf terrorists. We are hopeful this exercise in the Philippines that the Filipino troops are carrying out and the training exercise the United States is doing with the Philippines will result in that group, the Abu Sayyaf, being subdued; the Americans being freed safely and being returned home to their families. They have been held since May of last year and have been on the move constantly in the jungle. I am appreciative of the administration for stepping forward.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, as Senator Byrd mentioned, we have serious issues to contemplate concerning Iraq. This is a country we have had conflict with before, a country that has weapons of mass destruction. Iraq has been at war with itself and its neighbors for 22 of the 23 years that Saddam Hussein has ruled that country. The people of Iraq have not known peace under Saddam Hussein. History reveals repression at home is often the breeding ground for outside aggression. Iraq is certainly a case in point. There has been no peace in Iraq since Saddam Hussein came to power more than two decades ago. First, he declared war on Iran, a war that lasted nearly a decade. He then declared war on the Iraq Kurdish population in the north. He even used chemical weapons against them in his pursuit of total and absolute control of Iraq. After the war with the Kurds, he declared war on Kuwait, calling Kuwait an integral part of Iraq. Since his defeat at the hands of the U.S.-led coalition, Saddam has spent the past decade defying the United Nations and the United Nations imposed agreements and building weapons of mass destruction to use against his next victims. History has also shown that authoritarian dictators do not successfully become integrated into civilized society. On the contrary, they seek any and all means to pursue their goals and perceive any positive overtures towards them as acts of weakness on the part of their adversaries. It has been the policy of the U.S. Government to seek the overthrow of Saddam Hussein since the passage of the 1997 Iraq Liberation Act. This policy is strongly supported--it was then and is now--by both Houses of Congress and both parties. It was also embraced by President Bush in the Republican Party platform. This is going to be a key issue as we continue to look at what we are going to do to remove Saddam Hussein from power. We are not safe. That region of the world is not safe as long as Saddam Hussein rules in Iraq. This situation is not tenable over the long term. I am hopeful we can move forward to see some stability established in the region without Saddam Hussein in power. I yield the floor.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, for several months now, the attention of the Senate has been focused on the condition of farming in America. While this is a rite of some regularity every few years when we consider again the many hundreds of Federal programs that affect American agriculture, it is a subject of ongoing interest for those of us whose States rely disproportionately on farming. As Kansas' Secretary of Agriculture I had a unique opportunity to see all aspects of farming in our state and I rise today to briefly discuss the important priorities for Kansas in this farm bill. Despite my concerns about many other provisions in this farm bill--I am very pleased to see that our carbon sequestration provisions are included. This portion could help build a new market for farmers--one that pays them for how they produce, not just what they produce. The Wyden-Brownback amendment builds on this promise and expands it to help us explore how carbon trading might work by using our cooperatives. Carbon sequestration is a largely untapped resource that can buy us the one thing we need most in this debate: time. The Department of Energy estimates that over the next 50 to 100 years, agricultural lands alone could have the potential to remove anywhere from 40 to 80 billion metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere. If we expand this to include forests, the number will be far greater--indicating there is a real difference that could be made by encouraging a carbon sink approach. Carbon sequestration alone can not solve the climate change dilemma, but as we search for technological advancements that allow us to create energy with less pollution, and as we continue to research the cause and potential effects of climate change, it only makes sense that we enhance a natural process we already know has the benefit of reducing existing concentrations of greenhouse gases--particularly when this process also improves water quality, soil fertility and wildlife habitat. This is a no-regrets policy--much like taking out insurance on your house or car. We should do no less for the protection of the planet. In addition to this carbon sequestration provision, I am also pleased that we will be able to address another pressing environmental issue facing our country and particularly Kansas. Water, so essential to cultivation, is a top priority for Kansas farmers and I am pleased to say that this Farm Bill can help in this vital area as well. The Kansas Water Authority has been considering ways to extend the usable life of the Ogallala Aquifer and assure ground water will be available to meet the needs of future generations. The long term sustainability of ground water supplies is a concern of mine and I am pleased with the portion of the farm bill that creates the Southern High Plains Aquifer Groundwater Conservation Program. This legislation takes the necessary first step to protect and conserve this valuable resource. A reliable source of groundwater is essential to the economy of Kansas. There have been dramatic declines in water table levels in the last half of this century. It is projected that if no action is taken the aquifer could in some portions be completely dry in 100 years. Kansas is one of the States where this decline is especially pronounced. Through this new program in the farm bill, farmers will be given incentive payments for improving irrigation systems, changing from high-water intensity crops to low-water intensity crops, as well as converting from irrigation to dryland farming. Payments will be made as result of a true savings in groundwater resources. I am pleased to have worked with my colleague, Senator Jeff Bingaman, in supporting this portion of the farm bill and hope that the rest of our colleagues will see how important this program is to saving the usable life of the Ogallala Aquifer. The farm bill currently under consideration is not the bill that I would have drafted, independent of the deliberations of this body. However, this effort is an initiative that is desperately needed by America's farm families. I am hopeful that, working with our colleagues in the other body, we will craft a compromise that protects our priorities. We need a farm bill that can provide a safety net for farmers, but that will not create negative incentives to overproduce and depress crop prices. We need a bill that supports expanding trade opportunities and respects our international commitments. We need a bill that will, in the President's words, ``offer producers a reliable safety net that protects them from the financial events and circumstances beyond their control, while enabling them to better manage their individual financial situation.'' I remain very hopeful that we will be able to speed help to American agriculture and remove the cloud of uncertainty that presently shrouds the prairie farms in Kansas and America's agriculture economy generally.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, I think the Senator from Arizona has an excellent point. I know people are working hard to try to get the bill completed. There are things in the bill that I think are very good and there are things in the bill I do not agree with at all. There are some amendments that a number of people are concerned about that are important, that are legitimate. I don't think in the effort of expediency we should be throwing everything in this package. I would hope to have a much more deliberative process in this bill and future bills on something so important to my State, so important to many of the States. I realize the managers are pressed to get a bill through in a timely fashion. That is important. But on such an extensive bill I don't think we are serving the people's business well to move through it so rapidly. Maybe we have to go longer in the evenings, voting at night, to get some of these amendments done. This is important legislation. It should not be rushed. Regarding this bill, there is some of it with which I agree; much of it I do not. I hope we do not follow this procedure when we move forward with future pieces of legislation. I yield the floor.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Madam President, I appreciate the comments from my colleague from West Virginia and his thoughts. We have some important decisions to make. I speak on an event taking place currently in the Capitol, the welcoming of the President of Pakistan. Yesterday, we passed a resolution welcoming President Musharraf of Pakistan to the United States. He arrived in Washington last night. He will be here for a couple of days. I rise to call attention to this visit of President Musharraf and praise his courageous leadership in standing by the United States in its war on terrorism. President Musharraf has taken action within his own country to align with the international community to reject terrorism. It has been a very difficult task for him. Pakistan has been in a great deal of turmoil. President Musharraf has worked to bring calm and peace to that region. But when we went forward with our efforts in Afghanistan, which to date have been quite successful, this was a very trying time in Pakistan. President Musharraf stood by his commitment to end terrorism, stood by his commitment to work with the United States. That has been a help in our efforts in that region of the world and for the future of Pakistan and relationships with the United States. In a speech last month, President Musharraf set Pakistan on a new course with his version of a moderate, dynamic, Muslim nation. He reminded the Pakistani people that charity begins at home. It was time to fight the root causes of extremism: poverty, and illiteracy. He has done this at great risk to himself on behalf of a peaceful and prosperous future for Pakistan. He has opened the way to eventual true peace with India. It is an important message for Pakistan, for South Asia, and for the whole world. President Bush also made note of President Musharraf's important leadership in the State of the Union Address. The President said: Pakistan is now cracking down on terror, and I admire the strong leadership of President Musharraf. Pakistan's support remains essential to our fight against terrorism. We are grateful to President Musharraf for his leadership. Without it, Operation Enduring Freedom could not have been accomplished and could not have received its accomplishments or made the accomplishments that it has to date. We owe much to the Pakistani people. However, the fight is not yet over and risks still remain. Violent extremists could still undermine peace and security in the region. As we isolate our enemies, so, too, must we aid and draw closer to our friends. Pakistan's bold stand against terror alongside the United States is not made in a vacuum. There are real economic and social consequences in Pakistan for assisting the United States in our war effort. It would be a failure of U.S. foreign policy not to pursue the means of assisting our ally in its time of need. We must provide assistance to Pakistan in all the areas that will help keep it on track with President Musharraf's vision for a prosperous, strong, independent, modern Islamic state, a democracy of capital markets. As we have all seen, a small yet very focused and vocal Islamic minority within Pakistan has spoken out against the Pakistani Government and the assistance it received from the United States. The small minority has called for and implemented damaging labor strikes and encouraged countless numbers of young Pakistanis to cross the border into Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban. This is a strong vocal minority in Pakistan. A further weakened economy and increased unemployment in Pakistan, the clear results of some weakened markets that have taken place because of the war on terrorism, only add to the influence of fundamentalists in Pakistan by strengthening social and economic unrest on which extremists prey. This is why it is crucial that the United States now provide assistance and support to Pakistan. It is time to make sure that our policies of all sorts--economic, social policies, geopolitical policies--reflect what is best for America, not only in terms of our economy but also for our future security. Helping Pakistan through this difficult and necessary transition is in the direct interests of the United States. We must support those willing to take on the fight for freedom if we are to see our values flourish around the world. I am delighted President Musharraf is visiting the United States at this time. I know he will receive a strong, positive welcome from the United States.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I thank the Chair. Mr. President, I rise to speak on behalf of the Smith amendment but more to speak on behalf of the Boeing workers around my State and around the country. I have great respect for the Senator from North Dakota and the Senator from Maryland for the efforts they are putting forward. In the proposal they are putting forward, which basically has an 8- month window, we are not going to build any additional planes based upon that. We need the longer depreciation period because a plane is a major investment project. It takes decisionmaking time to put that forward, and we need this greater depreciation. I have been in close touch with the Boeing workers in Wichita. We have other aircraft manufacturers that are located in Wichita, whether it is Cessna or Raytheon or Lear Jet, and they are saying we have to have this if we are actually going to stimulate people to buy airplanes. This is a major decision they have to make, and they need the longer timeframe for it to be able to occur. We are talking about thousands of jobs in this industry that were directly hit because of September 11. That is why I speak on their behalf, and I ask my colleagues to consider what impact this has had to aircraft manufacturing workers who were directly hit by the September 11 events. They need this longer depreciation schedule for major companies to make the decision to buy the planes. In an 8-month time period--that is the basic framework of this 1-year proposal--we will only have 8 months to act on it. Those decisions cannot and will not be made in that period of time that would be involved for a company to decide to put millions of dollars out for aircraft. They have been contacting me and are strongly supportive of the longer depreciation time period saying that is what we need, and I ask we consider what happens to the aircraft workers. That is what we ought to be thinking about on this particular amendment. If we want to stimulate this work, if we want to stimulate manufacturing, we need the Smith amendment for the longer timeframe. I reserve the remainder of our time, and I yield to the Senator from Oklahoma for his 1 minute.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for up to 5 minutes.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise to bring to the attention of the Senate a situation on which we need to take some action. Presently in the Philippines there are two Kansans being held hostage by a group of terrorists called the Abu Sayf group. It has links to al-Qaida and bin Laden. They got their start through al-Qaida and bin Laden and now are operating in the Philippines. They have taken a number of people hostage over a period of 8 months. A number of these individuals have been released. One has been beheaded, a Californian. The two who are Kansans and a Filipino remain hostage. This matter was discussed on the TV show, ``48 Hours,'' Monday night of this week. They are in a desperate situation; Martin and Gracia Burnham are the two Kansans. They are missionaries. Their parents are missionaries in the Philippines. They have taken up that calling as well. They were there and taken hostage and have been held by this group now for 8 months. The Senate has before us, nominated to be the United States Ambassador to the Philippines, Ambassador-designate Ricciardone. He is qualified and knowledgeable. He was cleared through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is the appropriate and right person for this job. He remains stalled in this body, unfortunately, at this point in time. I take this opportunity to ask my colleagues if there is a way that we could get this nomination cleared. I know there are a number of difficult and nettlesome issues in front of the Senate, and sometimes things are associated one with the other. But if possible, if we could free this nomination to move it forward so the United States would have an ambassador to the Philippines to negotiate and to see to the safe release of these two hostages, it would be important to America, important to the Philippines, and to the overall world effort. The United States is involved in some delicate issues with the Philippines at the present time. I will not speak about that. The current issue I am concerned about is not only the work the United States is doing with the Philippines--the Philippine military has taken on this exercise to free the Burnhams; they have been aggressively pursuing the terrorist group for some period of time--but we need a leader from the United States. We need our ambassador to the Philippines in this delicate situation. If the Presiding Officer or other Members of the Senate could have seen ``48 Hours,'' they would have seen Gracia Burnham pleading: Will somebody please show us mercy. Will somebody please notice that we are here and help us out. She said that morning she awakened with chest pains. They are living in the jungle, being moved daily and on the run. It is a difficult, horrible situation. They need our key representative in that country. I ask other Members of the Senate to please consider and see fit to moving forward on this nomination that has cleared unanimously the Senate Foreign Relations Committee--a professional, highly qualified for this position, which would mean so much for our efforts in the Philippines to date. If my colleagues could see to that, this would be an important addition to the international portfolio of ambassadors. I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. Reserving the right to object, I have one unanimous consent request I would like to make regarding an immigration bill before, if possible, the Senator from West Virginia speaks.

Mr. BROWNBACK

Mr. BROWNBACK. I believe I have 10 minutes.